Nutzhof
Well-being without boundaries
A 4,000 m² Mediterranean garden at the foot of the Texel Group, surrounded by palms, olive trees, cypresses, and vines: this unexpected landscape inspired NOA’s project for the 13 new apartments of the Hotel Nutzhof. The interior designers carried the park’s serene atmosphere indoors, transforming the room into a space where the boundaries between bathroom, sleeping area, and living area dissolve into a seamless flow. A space entirely devoted to a new dimension of well-being.
Arriving from Merano in spring, when the bloom is at its peak, one immediately understands what fascinated NOA’s architects and interior designers during their first visit to the Nutzhof Hotel: greenery defines the character of this place. The hotel, which also operates as a family-run agricultural estate, is accessed via a road shaded by a vine-covered pergola—the first element to inspire the design concept. From the entrance to the property, a 4,000 m² garden unfolds, home to a rich variety of palms, olive trees, banana plants, and cypresses, set within a terraced landscape that embodies the very essence of South Tyrol, suspended between the understated elegance of the Alps and Mediterranean warmth.
“We did not approach the project from the perspective of standard furniture layouts, but with the idea that each room should become a private wellness area for the guests. Starting from the guests’ perspective, we designed the interiors to challenge the usual room divisions: the furnishings unfold in a fluid continuum, where the boundaries between bathroom and sleeping area dissolve.”
Christian Rottensteiner
NOA Partner & Architect
The Obkircher family’s guesthouse consists of three buildings: the main house, a dependance with apartments, and a wellness area. The project focused on renovating the 13 apartments in the dependance building, aiming not only to update the interiors but to radically rethink their layout—opening the central area to natural light and breaking down the traditional separation of bathroom, sleeping, and living areas.
As in many NOA projects, the bathroom here also receives special attention: it is an open space without clear boundaries, designed to maintain strong visual connections to the outside. Generous surfaces and meticulous attention to detail transform it into a place of well-being for body and senses. The traditional room concept has been expanded: a fully equipped kitchen module is integrated into a dedicated piece of furniture, which can be opened or closed as needed. While retaining the existing openings, the new layouts ensure even natural light and maximum livability. The thirteen units, spread over four floors, range in size from 35 to 65 m². A key challenge was completing the construction in a short timeframe while implementing the design concept successfully, without altering the load-bearing elements, and at the same time renewing all technical systems.
“The hotel garden served as the starting point for the interior design concept: a Mediterranean garden in the heart of the Alps. Our idea was to translate these natural influences into materials and colors—warm, earthy tones, tactile surfaces, and coarse-textured plaster. The rich variety of plants demonstrates what can thrive in South Tyrol, and the location, overlooking the Merano basin, turns the Nutzhof into an authentic Mediterranean retreat.”
Christian Rottensteiner
NOA partner & architect
Thus emerges a subtle dialogue between north and south, between Alpine calm and Mediterranean lightness, offering guests a regional and sensory experience.
“The beauty of the project reveals itself in the details: a bouclé armchair inviting quiet reading, a perforated metal screen that provides privacy without enclosing the space, and soft lighting that accompanies the early morning hours. Every corner offers a moment of cozy intimacy and personal well-being."
Mara Jungmann
Interior designer
The nature surrounding the hotel serves as the project’s main source of inspiration: colors, textures, and forms of the landscape are reinterpreted within the interiors. All custom-made furnishings feature organic lines that echo the contour lines of the surrounding terrain. A recurring element in all rooms is the wooden structure extending above the beds. Referred to by the interior designers as “the sky,” it evokes the pergolas lining the approach to the hotel and reproduces this leafy canopy indoors through a wallpaper covering. This element defines the sleeping area without enclosing it, integrates the bedside tables and dedicated lighting, and serves as support for the hanging lamps.
“In the rooms, there is an atmosphere of complete reconnection with the surroundings. We believe this is true luxury—the possibility to experience genuine relaxation.”
Mara Jungmann
Interior designer
In the rooms, everything is designed to ensure continuity and a fully immersive sensory experience. The materials include metal, wood, rattan, ceramic, and plaster. The color palette is restrained and subtle, with the sole exception of a coral accent on the kitchen walls and upholstered elements. Recurring elements create cohesion between the different areas: the metal rods, for example, become multifunctional components that, like the branches of a climbing plant, traverse the room, transforming as needed into coat racks, lamps, or perforated partition panels. Organic, teardrop-shaped mirrors and the softly rounded headboards also contribute to defining a continuous and enveloping environment.
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